1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for scrubbing, massaging and increasing circulation in the feet. More specifically, the present invention relates to a modular foot scrubbing and massaging device for individuals having impaired circulation in the lower extremities and/or impaired mobility.
2. Background
Certain medical conditions impair a person""s blood circulation to his or her lower appendages. This condition is commonly the result of peripheral vascular disease or arteriosclerosis of the extremities. Many diabetics suffer from this condition, having impaired circulation to their lower extremities, and in particular to their feet. As arteriosclerosis progresses in a person""s artery, the artery walls thicken and the lumen becomes more narrow, decreasing blood flow and potentially occluding the artery completely. The disorder is common in older people and in individuals with a personal or family history of heart or cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and kidney disease involving hemodialysis. Smoking and obesity also increase the risk. The condition may result in numbness or pain in the extremities, hair loss, and skin slough. In extreme cases, cyanosis, ulcers, gangrene and other infection can result.
A person suffering from impaired circulation may benefit from medical treatment and a measure of self care. Medications are often prescribed and occasionally surgery (such as bypass surgery or angioplasty) is required to treat the disease. In addition to these medical treatments the patient may require self treatments such as specialized exercise to improve circulation and develop collateral vasculature. Specialized foot care may be necessary, particularly if the patient is suffering from diabetes mellitus. The decreased circulation to the person""s feet increases the likelihood of infection in the feet. Furthermore, the outer skin layers of these areas of the body may shed or be sloughed off more quickly. Diabetics are often required to more vigorously and frequently scrub their feet in order to remove the outer layers of shedding skin.
To assist in the specialized foot care required by individuals suffering from arteriosclerosis of the lower extremities, a number of circulation enhancing and cleaning devices have been designed. However, these devices do not adequately address the needs of individuals in need of specialized foot care. A number of these devices are designed to either scrub the feet or massage the feet by having the patient hold the instrument in his or her hand and manually scrub or massage the foot. One of the drawbacks of the prior art is that it is generally difficult to keep the device sufficiently clean where the device has multiple parts. Scrubbing type devices with bristles or brushes often trap and maintain dead skin and oils, which are not readily rinsed off. Maintaining the device in a clean and preferably sterile condition, which is important under normal circumstances, is particularly important given how susceptible to infection a person suffering from arteriosclerosis in the lower extremities can be.
Another drawback of the prior art is that prior art devices can be difficult to use by elderly patients, who make up a good part of those suffering from arteriosclerosis. Instruments that require the user to lean over and scrub or massage the feet may be difficult to use for those who have impaired mobility. Hand-held devices may require the user to exert a level of upper body strength not typically found in elderly people. Other devices are too heavy or bulky for those who are with impaired mobility to handle.
It would be advantageous to provide a device for scrubbing and massaging feet designed to address the needs of individuals suffering from poor circulation in their lower extremities.
The present invention is a foot massaging and scrubbing device to stimulate circulation in the feet and facilitate the scrubbing of feet for individuals who have restricted blood flow in their lower appendages. One advantage of the present invention is its modular configuration. The apparatus has a base module that is designed to be water resistant and is designed to not slip on wet floors. The base has a footprint-shaped recess into which the massaging and scrubbing bristles, the second module of the apparatus, can be inserted. The base also contains a series of fin-like projections along a portion of the footprint-shaped recess. The finned portions provide both scrubbing and massaging effects to the user""s foot when the user places his or her foot into the recess. The base has a wide surface area to give the base both stability and a broad surface area for increased friction to enhance its non-slip characteristics.
The bristle module fits into the footprint shaped recess within the base module and provides a variety of bristle patterns, shapes, and sizes. A bristle module having a variety of bristle patterns, shapes, and sizes design can be replaced by bristle module having a different variety of bristle patterns, shapes, and sizes, according to the user""s preference and needs. For example, one style of bristle module may have more bristles per square inch than another. Unique xe2x80x9cbristle projectionsxe2x80x9d provide massaging and scrubbing actions along the sides of the foot. In one preferred embodiment, the bristle module has three types of bristles at different positions having different shapes, thickness, lengths, flexibility, and densities. The tips of the bristles collectively form an initial contact surface of the bristle module. The contact surface of the bristle module may be shaped to correspond to the shape and contours of the sole of a user""s foot. Alternative configurations of the bristle module are anticipated, such as configurations including abrasive surfaces, pumice stones, or loofah scrubs in the bristle module. The removable bristle module also allows the bristles to be more easily cleaned and for the module to be replaced as necessary.
A third component, the securing module, secures the bristles firmly within the footprint shaped recess. In a preferred embodiment, the securing module has poppettes or tabs that are inserted through corresponding holes in the bristle module and bristle base.
In an alternative embodiment, cleaning agents and moisturizers may be released from the apparatus into the footprint-shaped recess and surrounding area and onto the user""s foot. The device has multiple apertures that allow for the drainage of water from the recess in the base, which facilitate use of the apparatus in the shower or bathtub. A user of the device can place the device in the shower or bathtub and placing his or her foot on the bristles in the footprint-shaped recess can effectively massage and scrub the foot without having to bend over, an important benefit to individuals who may be in some way impaired in their mobility.